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Public opinion

In a pro-nuclear background paper published in 2008, Stefan Bakker from the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, soberly noted that there is widespread hostility to the construction of new nuclear power stations. "Public perception of nuclear energy is not very positive in many countries. A recent study found that on average in the EU, 61 percent of people think that the share of nuclear energy should be decreased (as it poses safety problems) compared with 30 percent who think it should be increased (as it does not contribute to climate change). On the global level, 59 percent of citizens in 18 countries were not in favour of building new nuclear power plants," he wrote.[1]